Worth It
by chocoyum4
Summary: "Granger? What are you doing out here?" "Waiting for someone to find me worth it," she answered dejectedly... The perfect way to start a new year he decided.


**Happy New Year y'all! =) (it's not quite yet where I am, I've got a couple hours haha) I hope you enjoy it! =) Oh and a song that goes really well with this is _Start of Something Good _by Daughtry =) give it a shot! Enjoy!**

**Worth It**

**I don't own Harry Potter**

Draco Malfoy sat in a Muggle bar dejectedly with a co-worker from his department at the Ministry. He didn't even know why he was here. He just knew that he couldn't stand to be at Blaise's house for the party with all the _lovely_ couples, alone. Without even the wondrous Hermione Granger there, to keep him entertained with their banter.

He swirled his full glass of alcohol as he listened to the ramblings of his not so sober companion. A beautiful buxom blonde sidled up to his table, winking saucily at him. As much as he appreciated this under normal circumstances, he couldn't find himself to be in the mood for it now.

There was one girl he couldn't get out of his mind, and for that night he wanted to forget her, but would feel so incredibly guilty in the morning if he left with the beautiful girl before him. Instead he glared at her and rose from his chair, tossing a few Muggle notes on the table, and shoved his hands in his coat pockets.

He trudged through the slushy streets of Muggle London trying desperately not to think of the one witch he wanted to spend this night with. Sighing, he finally reached Wizarding London and scanned the streets for someone he might know, someone to help take away his longing. Suddenly he stopped and his breath caught in his throat. There was no way.

"Granger? What are you doing out here?" Draco Malfoy asked pausing by the girl sitting on the sidewalk in the cold. Her head was covered in a knit cap, but snow had still gotten caught in the hair around her shoulders.

"Waiting for someone to find me worth it," she answered dejectedly, still staring forward.

"Are you drunk?" Draco asked bluntly, hoping desperately that she wasn't.

Hermione laughed bitterly, "If only, but even then I'm not sure the pain would go away."

Draco stood there for a moment then sat down in the snow next to her. "Are you alright?"

"Does it look like I'm alright Malfoy? Honestly? You tell me." Hermione finally looked at him; her eyes shining with unshed tears were red and puffy. Her nose and cheeks were rosy from the bitter cold, and she looked like her spirit had been broken.

Draco studied her as her eyes scanned his face, finally he answered her, "No, you don't look like you're alright."

"What a brilliant deduction. Ten points to Slytherin."

"What happened to you? Did Weasley do something?" He had never seen Hermione like this. Not at work, and especially not at school. He wanted to know what had happened to make her so bitter this night.

"No," Hermione sighed, "Ron didn't do anything. In fact he's doing everything right."

"Then what's the problem?"

"He got married this morning." Draco blinked. He had not been expecting that answer. "Don't get me wrong. That's not what I'm upset about. Honestly! I'm so happy for him and Susan. I'm just tired of waiting." A tear leaked out of Hermione's eye and rolled down her cheek. "Ron and Susan Bones, Harry and Ginny, Blaise and Luna, Neville and Hannah Abbot, all happily married. I'm happy for them. I really, really am. It hurts though."

"What does?"

Hermione looked at him again another tear rolling down to the corner of her lips. "Do you know why guys go out with me?" She said, ignoring his question. "Because I'm Hermione Granger! Because my best friends are Harry and Ginny Potter, and Ron Weasley! They don't want to get to know me; they want to get to know Harry and Ron." Hermione became silent as a few more tears leaked from her eyes. "It's New Year's Eve. I'm twenty-six years old. I work at the Ministry pushing papers. And I have yet to find someone to find me worth it. How much longer do I have left? At this rate I'll end up exactly like everyone said I would. I'm going to be an old maid, working in a library with only my cat to keep me company at home. Sometimes I hate being me. I hate that no one sees me." Hermione had turned her attention back to the empty road before her, her shoulders sagging, and her eyes staring forward seeing nothing.

"Oh believe me Granger, everyone sees you."

Hermione laughed harshly, "You really think so? What do you see? I bet I can guess. It's what you and everybody else sees."

"And what do you think I see?" Draco raised an eyebrow at her.

"You see a busy haired, overbearing, know-it-all Gryffindor. You see a bookworm with no life. You see the third and 'least important' member of the Golden Trio. You see someone who's probably easy. You see a prude. You see someone who has about as much depth as a piece of parchment. You see someone who's not worth taking the time to get to know the real person behind the 'stuck up nose'. That's what you see. That's what everyone else sees."

Draco chuckled, but it didn't have any mirth in it. "If only that was what I saw, but your wrong." It was Hermione's turn to raise an eyebrow. Draco stood, brushing snow off of his pants. Holding out a gloved hand to Hermione he said, "Come on."

"I'm not going to get drunk Malfoy." She said looking at his offered hand.

"Of course not and tonight it's not Malfoy. It's Draco." Hermione dragged her eyes up to his silver ones and searched for a sinister look, but found none. Slowly she placed her hand in his and stood, brushing off her jeans.

Draco kept her hand in his as he led her down the street into a wizard pub. "I told you I wasn't going to get drunk."

"Relax. I'm not going to get you drunk." Draco said snagging a table in the back. He waved to a waitress, "Two butterbeers please." The waitress gave him a strange look before going off to get their drinks.

"I figured you'd end up getting something stronger," Hermione quipped.

Draco smirked at her, "You know just as well as I do that butterbeer only get House Elves drunk." Hermione smiled a little and nodded her acknowledgement. "So what brought you out into the world on New Year's Eve, if you weren't looking to get drunk?" Hermione shrugged and fingered the bottle she had just been given. "Come on now, I do think you owe me this one little answer."

Hermione sighed and looked him sadly in the eye before giving him a defeated smirk, "I'm not sure really. I just couldn't stand being around them, and I suppose I was hoping to find Mr. Right. But that's just my hopeless romantic side talking. I honestly have no idea what possessed me to come out. What about you?"

Draco gave her a noncommittal look, "I didn't want to spend the night alone."

Hermione nodded and they sipped their drinks in silence, "Not to sound rude or anything," she said a few moments later her eyes tracing the wooden rings on the table, "but why spend the night with me?"

Draco gave her a soft smile and tucked his finger under her chin, pushing it up so that she would meet his eyes, "Because Hermione, you're worth it."

"What do you mean?" She whispered searching his face.

"I mean that what you said earlier about how I see you is utterly, completely and totally wrong. I see you. I see a beautiful, brave woman who has a lot of knowledge and wisdom. I do see a bookworm, but I find that endearing, and this bookworm does have a life as you put it. It's just more laid back than others. I see the most important member of that annoying Golden Trio. I see someone who is not a prude or easy, but someone who has morals and holds on to them no matter what society throws at her. I see someone who is very deep. Others just choose not to see it. I see it. Your friends with Blaise, so that means I see you around a lot more than I would under normal circumstances, but that's not a bad thing. I've actually come to enjoy our encounters. I've been able to watch you. I've _seen _you. I've seen you like no one else has. I've seen that you are worth it. In fact, you're worth even more than that. I'll fight for you if that's what it takes. I'll fight for you forever."

"You really think I'm worth it?" A small smile graced her face as a warm calloused hand took one of hers away from clutching her butterbeer, and held it tightly.

"Your worth every bit of it and then some." He said staring deeply into her eyes. Hermione bit her lip and smiled at him shyly. Her heart stuttered, and in her mind she finally began to accept what her heart had been telling her for weeks on end. This could easily be the boy of her dreams, because this boy, no, man, thought she was worth it.

Draco tugged a little on her chin, pulling her face closer to his. His breath washed over her face waiting for her to make the final decision. Slowly she gave in and pressed her lips softly to his. They both sighed in contentment as fireworks outside the pub signaled that there was only an hour until the New Year. They broke apart, smiling shyly at each other like two teenagers who had just had their first kiss ever.

Eventually the awkwardness wore off into comfortable existence, leaving both persons content, yet wanting more contact. "Come on, let's go outside," Draco said tugging on her hand. Hermione grinned at him and followed him outside into the streets where wizards and witches were already crowding together. They had at least half an hour to watch the fireworks that always were displayed during the last hour of the year. When the clock would finally strike twelve was when the grand finale would be, and just after fireworks would go up showing either the best kiss or the most astonishing kiss of the New Year.

Finally the countdown began and as the clock struck twelve, brining in the New Year, Draco Malfoy let himself fall in love with Hermione Granger, and Hermione Granger let herself fall in love with Draco Malfoy. They kissed as if they were meeting each other after a long time apart, finding solace in the others lips. They broke apart as the crowd cheered for the New Year and looked up to see whose faces would be in the fireworks for the kiss.

The crowd gave one collective gasp as the faces of the most sought after man (according to Witch Weekly), and the best friend of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were projected for the entire Wizarding world to see.

"Do you care?" Draco asked turning to her and capturing her attention again as those around them watched.

"Not anymore," she replied smiling at him and wrapping her arms around his neck, "because you're worth it." Draco smiled down at her before capturing her lips again. The perfect way to start a new year he decided.

**I hope you liked it! =) Happy New Year! **

**~chocoyum4~**


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